Chemical Controversies
Pesticides are substances that prevent, destroy, repel, or reduce the severity of pests. Pests are living things that occur where they are not wanted or that cause damage to humans, crops, or animals. Pests can be insects, rodents, unwanted plants, bacteria, viruses, or different types of fungus. Pesticides can vary in how toxic they are to humans and the environment. Some are persistent in the environment, animals, and birds, lasting for years; others break down soon after they are released. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants licenses, or registrations, to pesticides that it has found do not pose unreasonable risks to human health and the environment; it has registered at least 865 pesticides, which are used in thousands of pesticide products.
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Video: John Franz invented the herbicide glyphosate—is he a farming hero or villain?
Who's the man behind Glyphosate, and why is he winning some of the highest honors in science if his invention ...
30% of the world’s rice supply is lost to rice blast fungus—this chemical genetic treatment could halt it
Scientists have found a way to stop the spread of rice blast, a fungus that destroys up to 30% of ...
Viewpoint: 6 reasons to reject the Environmental Working Group’s misinformation on food and pesticides
1. It creates a false sense of food risk where next to none exists. They are not a testing organization. They ...
Neonicotinoids, glyphosate may impact honeybees’ ability to taste and learn, ‘field realistic’ lab study claims
Hive-bound young honey bees (Apis mellifera) are being poisoned by insecticide and weed killer gathered by their foraging hive mates, ...
Viewpoint: EWG’s Dirty Dozen foods and pesticides list scares people away from healthy eating
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) on [April 10] released its 2018 “Dirty Dozen” list to showcase the top pesticide-riddled fruits and vegetables. But some argue ...
Viewpoint: Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list highlights ‘meaningless distinctions’ between organic and conventional foods
On April 10, the Environmental Working Group – an NGO funded by big organic marketers – released its annual “Dirty Dozen List” ...
Large-scale switch to organic farming would imperil natural habitats, study finds
Organic agriculture is not as good for the environment as commonly believed, according to a new scientific study reviewing multiple lines of ...
‘Well Fed’: Dutch documentary challenges rich countries’ anti-GMO views
A trip to Bangladesh with your friends might be a great idea, but that won’t be possible for everyone. But ...
US tentatively approves Bayer’s $62.5 billion takeover of Monsanto
The Justice Department has decided to allow BayerAG’s megadeal to acquire Monsanto Co., valued at more than $60 billion, after the ...
Vaccines for plants? RNA spray could help protect crops from pests and disease
Novel technologies are being sought to replace the traditional pesticides used to protect plants, particularly edible plants such as cereals ...
Viewpoint: Why California labels everything a carcinogen—and why it should stop
You may have heard that coffee gives you cancer. Or that everything gives you cancer—if you live in California. The reason: Proposition 65. It’s ...
Video: Does ‘organic’ mean GMO-free?
The definition of what "GMO" means is most important in the context of organic production, because they’ve been the champions ...
Viewpoint: JAMA falls short in ‘correction’ of research letter reporting glyphosate in urine
In October 2017, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) added to the weight of evidence they care more about media ...
Strange bedfellows: American Academy of Pediatrics allies with Environmental Working Group, known for anti-science messages
On the subjects of organics and pesticides, the American Academy of Pediatrics finds itself supporting the Environmental Working Group, an ...
‘Junk science’? Judge and UCLA scientist square off in glyphosate-cancer lawsuit
Returning to the witness stand, a scientist on Wednesday [April 4] defended her opinion that Monsanto’s popular weed killer Roundup ...
Sri Lankan chemistry professor: Lift the glyphosate ban, which was based on pseudoscience
As a Professor of Chemistry and University President who in a small way pioneered environmental science and food technology in the 1970s ...
Field study finds no negative impact on bees from neonicotinoid insecticide
In the last decade, the use of neonicotinoid insecticides increased significantly in the agricultural landscape and meanwhile considered a risk ...
Viewpoint: Chemical-free gardening is a myth
So-called “nature” is teeming with chemicals, in soil, in plants, in rain and not only in nettles. Chemical-free gardening is ...
Scientists challenge Center for Biological Diversity report claiming monarch butterflies threatened by dicamba herbicide
Dicamba drifts. Apparently, more than expected by a lot of farmers, agriculture officials and manufacturers. But does that mean, as ...
Genetically modified weeds could usher in new era of ‘genetic control’
The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture has announced a $500,000 grant to University of Illinois researchers in the ...
Bayer-Monsanto merger reflects larger trends in global agrochemical industry
The progress of the Bayer-Monsanto mega-takeover, which [recently] secured regulatory approval from European Union (EU) competition authorities, is only the ...
It’s official: California will require cancer warning label on coffee products
A Los Angeles judge has determined that coffee companies must carry an ominous cancer warning label because of a chemical ...
With growing season nearing, concerns rise over more potential dicamba damage as Missouri lawsuit proceeds
Eyes on wide swaths of the nation's farmland are sure to look out for continued damage from dicamba – divisive ...
Sri Lankan government split on whether to lift ban on glyphosate herbicide
The Cabinet [the council of ministers that form the central government of Sri Lanka] is to decide whether the ban on ...
Viewpoint: House Democrats’ ‘glyphosate-is-dangerous’ report shows liberals can be science deniers too
The discussions around agricultural technologies, especially herbicides, are nuanced and complex. So if someone gets the basic information completely wrong, ...
Video: How insect-resistant GMO crops help keep nearby organic farms pest free
Are Genetically Engineered crops good or bad for the surrounding environment? GREAT QUESTION! New research from the University of Maryland ...
Correlation study of 71 Indiana women suggests glyphosate in urine may be linked to shorter pregnancies
In what they claim is the first prospective birth cohort study of its kind, U.S. researchers have linked likely environmental ...
